Nathan Montoya sat expressionless in court Thursday when the judge announced that the jury found him guilty of killing a young child.

Montoya killed 17-month-old Breandra Pena last March while babysitting her at his Rio Arriba County home. Breandra was his girlfriend's goddaughter.

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During the trial, prosecutors proved Montoya shook Breandra and hurt her so badly that she had bruises and scratches all over her body.

Montoya had been on trial since Monday, and late Thursday night, the judge sentenced him to life in prison.

Judge Michael Vigil told Montoya he remembers him from previous cases and is disappointed because he had hoped he would do better with himself. Montoya turned down a plea deal where he would have been sentenced to 21 years.

“I’ve done my best to get justice for her and even though it was really hard," the child's mother, Melissa Romero, said. "Some days I just don’t want to get out of bed. I feel like I’m living a life sentence, punishment, without her. Just trying to do the best that I can do.”

Montoya's family members told the judge their son is not the monster prosecutors and police have made him out to be. They didn't have anything to say after the sentencing, but instead slammed a door on an Action 7 News camera and made obscene gestures.